Staff - 2nd Canadian Division Training Centre

Lieutenant-Colonel Gagné enrolled in the Primary Reserve Force in 1992, while he was studying industrial relations at Laval University.

He joined the Regular Force in 1997 and was posted to the 1st Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment as a Platoon Commander. During this period, he participated in Op RECUPERATION and Op PALLADIUM in Bosnia-Herzegovina. When he returned, he was employed as Assistant Operations Officer for one year. Subsequently, he was posted to the Montreal area and served in various staff appointments. During this posting, he was also deployed to the United Nations Organization Mission in the Democratic Republic of the Congo. After he returned from Congo, he was posted to the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, as Deputy Commander of B Company, until his first deployment to Afghanistan in July 2006 with the Operational Mentor and Liaison Team (OMLT). Back from Afghanistan, he was posted to the 2nd Canadian Division Training Centre as an Adjutant until September 2008 when he began training for his second deployment to Afghanistan with TF 1-09.

In November 2009, back from Afghanistan, he was posted to the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, as Commander of A Company. In June 2011, he was transferred to the 2nd Canadian Division Training Centre as Deputy Commanding Officer. In summer 2014, he was posted to the 2nd Canadian Division Headquarters in Montreal, where he was employed as G3 operations for two years. When he returned to Valcartier in summer 2016, he was posted to the 2nd Battalion, Royal 22e Régiment, as Deputy Commanding Officer. Promoted to his current rank in August 2017, he was then posted to the Canadian Joint Operations Command in Ottawa for two years, including one year as Executive Assistant to the Commander.

LCol Gagné is a graduate of the Canadian Army Command and Staff College and of the Canadian Forces College. He holds a BA in Industrial Relations from Laval University and a Master’s in Defence Studies from the Royal Military College.

He and his wife Lynda are the proud parents of two children, Victoria age 17 and Yohan age 16.

Chief Warrant Officer Martin Durand, CD was born in La Tuque, Quebec. He enlisted in the Canadian Armed Forces (CAF) in August 1989. He completed his basic training, as well as, his combat engineer training at Canadian Forces Base (CFB) Chilliwack, British Columbia. He was posted to 5 Combat Engineer Regiments (5 CER) in Valcartier, Quebec in August 1990.

As soon as he arrived at 5 CER, he went on his first domestic operation during the Oka Crisis in August 1990 as a member of 2 Troop of 51 Field Engineering Squadron (Field Sqn). In 1993, CWO Durand participated in his first mission with the U.N. to the former Yugoslavia and a second time in 1995. In 1998, he was deployed to Central African Republic. He was promoted to master corporal in 1999 and was posted to the Canadian Forces Military Engineering School (CFSME) in August 2000, as an instructor.

Promoted to sergeant in 2001, CWO Durand was posted to 5 CER in August 2003 as a section commander for 2 Troop in 51 Field Sqn. In 2004, he deployed for the third time to the former Yugoslavia as the Operations Sergeant of the Engineer Troop. In 2006, he was deployed to Afghanistan with the Operational Mentoring and Liaison Team (OMLET) as the second in command (2IC) of the Forces Protection Troop. In December 2006, his convoy was hit by a Suicide Vehicle Borne Improvised Explosive Device (SVBIED). He received a CEFCOM Commendation because of his actions during the attack.

In 2008, he was promoted to the rank of warrant officer, and employed as 2 Troop Warrant Officer. In 2009, he was deployed for the second time to Afghanistan as the Operations Warrant Officer of the Engineering Regiment. In 2011, he was posted to 2 CDTC as the Standards Warrant Officer followed by a posting to 32 CER in Toronto.

Promoted to master warrant officer in 2012, he returned to 5 CER as Sergeant Major of 51 Field Sqn and 58th Support Sqn. In 2015, while deployed to Kuwait as JTFSC's Sergeant Major, he received a commendation from the Commander of JTF-IRAQ. He was then posted to Longue-Point, Montreal in 2016 as the Garrison Sergeant Major.

Promoted to his current rank in 2018, he was posted to Gagetown as the Chief Warrant Officer of the Canadian Army Test and Evaluation Unit (CATEU). In 2019, CWO Durand is appointed to 2 CDTC as RSM.

CWO Durand has been married to Nathalie Gagne since 1991 and has two children, Vanessa and David. They are also grandparents of a little girl named Florence.